Arts & Culture The Love Issue

Ismail Zaidy’s photography: A family affair

Family is important to this rising Moroccan photographer.

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By Sekka Team

Isamail Zaidy. Photo: Courtesy.

Ismail Zaidy has become a force to be reckoned not only in Morocco, but the wider Arab world. At just 23 years old, the rising Moroccan photographer’s stunning work has been featured on the pages of the Middle East editions of Vogue, GQ, Grazia and WIRED, and has led him to become the most recent recipient of the Contemporary African Photography Prize.

The common thread between his photographs- which are set in the natural Moroccan landscape- is not only its minimalism, vibrance and powerful symbolism, but also the element of family. Ismail’s mother, sister Fatima Zahra Zaidy and brother Othmane Zaidy frequently feature in his photographs, and they also help him in the artistic process.

Ismail’s mother- a photography enthusiast herself, and one of the main reasons why Ismail ventured into the world of photography in the first place- is in charge of styling for photoshoots and his brother helps with photography. In addition to that, his photography frequently tackles the themes of unity, solidarity and family love.

“I believe that the purest love is the love between a mother and her children; it is a relationship built on giving without waiting for anything in return, unlike other types of relationships” he says.  “However, unfortunately it is the type of love that gets the least attention in our societies. Therefore, it is my duty to shed a light on it.” In 2020, Ismail held his first solo exhibition- Family- in Marrakech, in which he showcased some of the photographs featured here, and he is currently working on the second part of the project/series. 

To find out more about Ismail Zaidy, visit www.instagram.com/l4artist.


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